Ready to ditch the gas pump and embark on an electrifying adventure? Electric car road trips are the future of fun, but let’s be real, they require a little more preparation than just filling up your tank and hitting the open road.
There are many factors to consider when taking an EV on a road trip. Weather conditions, ease of access to chargers, mileage range and the distance to your destination are all important details to review. At the same time, stopping to rest and taking breaks will make traveling more comfortable and relaxing.
Does that sound like a lot of planning? Fear not, fellow adventurers! We’ve got the ultimate guide to make your EV road trip smoother than an electric car’s acceleration.
Related: Electric Cars for Single Moms: Pros, Cons and What to Consider in EVs
Plot Your Electrifying Road Trip Escapade
While you can still be impulsive and decide to do a weekend road trip getaway the night before you depart, you’re still going to want to plan a couple things ahead of time to ensure a successful trip. Think of it as crafting the perfect playlist for your journey, but instead of songs, you’re choosing charging stops. Enter A Better Route Planner, your trusty sidekick that customizes your route based on your car’s details and your personal preferences.
It’s like having a personal concierge for your EV adventure, plotting out the entire trip for you. You’ll be able to see exact details about each charging stop and session including estimated arrival times, charging percent and duration, and even whether the charger has restrooms, a pet area, or is trailer-friendly. You can also select whether you want the navigation to include CCS chargers (Combined Charging Systems) and NACS charging (North American Charging Standard). More on that later.
Related: EV Charging Hiccups Remedied by Home Charge Adapters
Plan Activities and Meals Around Charging Stops
Taking a road trip in an EV is not that different to a gas vehicle, but you will find yourself changing the order in which you do things. On a road trip with a gas vehicle, you typically fill up your tank then move your car and go inside to get food or use the restroom. On a road trip in an electric car, you will typically plug in and leave your car charging while you go find food or use the restroom.
When you start planning your trip, it can help to take this pattern into account. Look at the amenities that are near your charging stops and plan to take advantage of them while you charge.
Perhaps there’s a good restaurant in walking distance of one of your charges – plan your lunch break for that stop. Perhaps there’s a nearby cultural landmark that you can take your kids to for a 30 minute visit, like the Route 66 Museum at the Supercharger in Kingman, Arizona. They’ll burn off some built-up road trip energy, and you’ll get a nice break along the way!
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a Tesla, check whether your manufacturer has J3400 adapter access to Tesla Superchargers. At the moment, Ford and Rivian vehicles have access, but more availability will be coming. Speaking of adapters, that’s the perfect segway to our next tip.
Pack Your Charging Essentials on Your Road Trip
NACS Adapter
That J3400 adapter that I mentioned – it’s also called the NACS or North American Charging standard adapter. If you don’t know, most electric cars will be gaining access to Tesla Superchargers through the use of this adapter. If your vehicle has access to the Tesla Supercharger network, then be sure to bring along your J3400 (NACS) adapter so that you can use compatible Superchargers along your route.
Conversely, if you have a Tesla, you can buy a CCS adapter that will let you use CCS chargers.
Level 2 Adapters
At some point during your road trip, you may find yourself needing to use a level 2 charger. These are slower chargers like the ones you usually use in your home or at hotels. There are 2 kinds of level 2 chargers that you’ll find out and about. J1772 and Tesla Destination chargers. CCS vehicles are equipped to use J1772 and Teslas are set for destination chargers but you can buy adapters for each and they’re super useful to carry with you. Just in case.
A Portable Charger
Always bring a portable EV charger with you. It’s literally like bringing a phone charger with you in case your battery runs out and you need to plug into a wall. The same is true for an electric car and, as long as you have a portable charger with you, you’ll be able to plug into a 120 or 240 volt outlet to charge your car in a pinch. For some electric cars, they’ll come with the vehicle. For others, you’ll have to purchase it independently, but it’s pretty essential.
Check Your Chargers En Route
Always check your charging stops when you’re en route. You never know when something might have changed. This is a great task for handy copilots. Utilize tools like PlugShare to check the charger to try and assess whether everything is hunky dory. You can see people’s recent check-ins and get info on which charging stall to aim for. This is a great way to give yourself a heads-up if there’s a situation you need to be aware of. Like if a charger has been vandalized or if a station is down.
This heads-up is so important because it allows you to utilize the next tip.
Charge Enough (But Not Too Much) on Your Road Trip
Your A Better Route Planner road trip plan tells you what battery percentage you’re estimated to arrive at each charging station with and to what percentage you should charge. You may see it say things like “arrive at 20% and leave at 60%,” but oftentimes, you may find yourself going above the specified charging percentage because you’re grabbing a bite, or shopping, or using the restroom, and that’s just fine.
Your electric car is going to be thirsty from all that road trip driving and will be gulping down a charge quickly until it gets to about 80% full. At that point, your EV will start slowing down. The higher your battery percentage, the slower your car will charge. So, to be most efficient, the highest you may want to charge to is 80%, unless you truly need the higher charge for your trip. Spending the time waiting for your car to charge when it’s close to full and chugging slowly will potentially be a waste of your time and will have you hogging a charger that someone else could be using with their thirsty car. Unless, of course, you need to charge higher due to the specific details of your trip.
Now, sometimes, your destination may lack adequate charging, or you may want to do some extra driving when you arrive. So even though your route may say to charge to something like 60%, you will intentionally want to ignore it and charge to 80%, so you have an adequate buffer. It can be important to plan to have a suitable buffer for the range you may need.
Have a Backup Plan
Having adequate buffer ties into having a backup plan. Having a good chunk of extra range to get to your charger means that if, for any reason, you may have to skip your charger and find an alternate, you’ll have some range for roaming. If your route has a ton of DC Fast Chargers, you may not have to worry about having an alternate plan but, if you’re reliant on a single charger to make it to your destination or if you’re going through a charging desert, you’ll want to make sure that you have a backup plan and that you’re aware of all the details that affect your plan.
For example, if your backup plan entails relying on charging at a dealership, make sure that you can always gain access to their chargers. They may be behind a gate or closed on Sundays. Additionally, if you’re reliant on that one specific fast charger, knowing of a backup level 2 charger is a great way to protect yourself.
Take Advantage of Hotel Charging
Some hotels provide EV charging and this can be a huge help on your road trip. You can plug in overnight and frequently start the next portion of your journey with 100% charge. The challenge with hotel charging is that people are going to be plugged in for long periods of time so you have no assurance that you will get a charging spot. Make sure that you have a backup plan like a fast charger nearby where you can charge your car after breakfast if you don’t manage to get a spot the night before.
With a little planning and a dash of spontaneity, your electric car road trip will be an unforgettable journey. So, get started planning to hit the road, embrace the electric vibes, and let the adventure begin!
